When trying to analyse the suggested remedies for the ailments affecting public sector finances, CIO Richard Jeffrey believes it’s more important to understand the politics than the economics.

Any commentator looking at recent trends in the UK economy is faced with a very obvious puzzle: why is employment rising so strongly if output is so weak?

The BoE’s recent policy regime did not serve us well but will the incoming chairman’s direction lead to worse mistakes? Richard believes that there is no substitute for common sense.

As 2013 approaches, public sector debt remains a common theme. Despite the headwinds, Richard Jeffrey, CIO, thinks that the world economy should still manage to grow faster than in 2012, as long as policy makers remain pragmatic.

There is a distinct feeling in the worlds of finance and economics that we are in an interim phase before things return to normal. But what precisely is normal?

As the flaws in the ECB’s latest plan begin to become apparent Richard Jeffrey looks at the latest developments in Europe.